© Jiri Krenek for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Despite Lewis Hamilton’s fantastic P2, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff says he is “actually not happy at all” with Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying, in fact he is “annoyed”.
In a wet Chinese Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton managed to pull out a fantastic lap to qualify in P2. George Russell, on the other hand, got eliminated in SQ2.
Asked if he is happy with Mercedes’ performance, team boss Toto Wolff said he is “not happy at all”.
“No, I’m actually not happy at all, I’m annoyed,” the Austrian said.
“I’m annoyed that we got it so wrong in Q2 with both cars, again with the tyre grip, and then we got it right in the third section.
“Free lap, that’s all that matters, then the car has the performance, but the wobbling around in Q1 and Q2 doesn’t make it any better for me now.”
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Wolff says he takes some consolation in the fact that the first three places have been taken by Mercedes powered drivers – Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
“If you try to look at it in a very positive way and make a correlation between the qualifying X and the Mercedes engine, then yes [it’s good], absolutely.
“Our engine is good to drive, we know that. And of course it helps – the layout.”
He also commented on Lewis’ marvellous SQ3 performance.
“I think, obviously, driving is most important in the wet, but it shows it’s about tyre preparation.
“We did the right thing on the final run. The tyres were in the sweet spot, combined with a great drive – that made the time.”
As for the Sprint Race on Saturday, Toto said:
“I think we should have the pace in the dry. I don’t think we have the pace against the Red Bulls, but we are, I think, against the McLarens.
“But having said that, it’s also we don’t know, because we have no data from FP1.
“It could be they are much quicker too, or the other way around,” he concluded.
